Synopses & Reviews
This book is a map for how, day in and day out, food shapes my life for the better, in the kitchen and beyond it.
—from the Introduction
Start where you are. Feed yourself. Do your best, and then let go. Be helpful. Slow down. Don’t be afraid of food.
Alana Chernila has these phrases taped to her fridge, and they are
guiding principles helping her to stay present in her kitchen. They also
provide the framework for her second book. In The Homemade Kitchen
she exalts the beautiful imperfections of food made at home and extends
the lessons of cooking through both the quotidian and extraordinary
moments of the day. Alana sees cooking as an opportunity to live
consciously, not just as a means to an end.
Written as much for
the reader as the cook, The Homemade Kitchen covers a globe’s worth of
flavors and includes new staples (what Alana is known for) such as
chèvre, tofu, kefir, kimchi, preserved lemons, along with recipes and
ideas for using them. Here, too, are dishes you’ll be inspired to try
and that you will make again and again until they become your own family
recipes, such as Broccoli Raab with Cheddar Polenta, a flavor-forward
lunch for one; Roasted Red Pepper Corn Chowder, “late summer in a bowl”;
Stuffed Winter Squash, rich with leeks, chorizo, apples, and grains;
Braised Lamb Shanks that are tucked into the oven in the late afternoon
and not touched again until dinner; Corn and Nectarine Salad showered
with torn basil; perfect share-fare Sesame Noodles; Asparagus Carbonara,
the easiest weeknight dinner ever; and sweet and savory treats such as
Popovers, Cinnamon Swirl Bread, Summer Trifle made with homemade pound
cake and whatever berries are ripest, and Rhubarb Snacking Cake.
In this follow-up to Alana’s wildly successful debut, The Homemade Pantry, she once again proves herself to be the truest and least judgmental friend a home cook could want.
Review
“There is a tender-hearted quality to everything about Alana, extending
to her beautiful sense of what a cookbook should be. She nails it with
this one — it is so compelling! As soon as you look at these pages, you’ll
want to dive into the recipes, and everything culinary will feel fresh
and new. You’ll also feel you have a wise and passionate new friend to
guide you through.”
MOLLIE KATZEN, author of Moosewood Cookbook and The Heart of the Plate
Review
"Never preachy or prescriptive, Chernila’s most recent offering is sure to please anyone who loves unfussy, from-scratch cooking." Library Journal
Review
“Alana Chernila takes a realistic approach to cooking with pleasure…The
fact that the photography is stunning, the layout elegant, and the
recipes themselves somehow modern and rustic at the same time doesn’t
hurt… THE TAKEAWAY: Hearty, flavorful, and occasionally healthy recipes
in gorgeous packaging that will put some pleasure back in your
kitchen.” Epicurious.com
About the Author
ALANA CHERNILA writes, cooks, teaches cheese making, and blogs at
EatingFromTheGroundUp.com. She lives with her husband and daughters in
Western Massachusetts.